I stumbled onto this book in a book store the other day, and was standing in the children's section trying not to be the crazy mom who cries in public. Fail.
I bought it and brought it home and tried to read it to Jack without being the crazy mom who cries when she does mundane things like read books to her kid. Fail. Big time.
I got through two whole pages until my voice got all strangled and I had to stutter out the words "may you always-know-the-truth, And-see-the...........lights-surrounding......you........may-you-be..........................................................foreveryoung... Sob...
Jack didn't seem to notice, but Nipper was laughing at me from the toy room. "Haha, mommy is a softy!"
The illustrations are so beautiful, with the first page being Woody Guthrie and his fascist killing guitar, playing, as a little boy looks on. On the next page, Guthrie hands the guitar over to the little boy, and we watch him and the guitar grow up and move on. The words, the original words to the song "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan are so evocative of everything you feel about having a kid. On the back of the book there is a quote from Dylan about writing the song: " I wrote it thinking about one of my boys and not wanting to be too sentimental." sob sob sob.
Here is the little video of the song with some of the illustrations from the book. SOBBY SOB SOB SOB.
Old college friend of Nipper's that has been enjoying your blog quietly now for some time - just had to post that I, too, have a son named Jack who is 4 1/2 and his daddy will LOVE it when I bring home this book to share. Besides Dylan, daddy shares U2 and The Pogues - but to have a book along with the music - what Joy! Thanks:) Nanette
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